Jimmy Mansour
Founding Chairman
"The eyes of Texas and the nation are truly upon CPRIT and we will make the most of this opportunity to change the face of cancer."
Mr. Mansour was appointed to the Oversight Committee by Lt. Governor David Dewhurst on June 20, 2008 and elected chairman at the Oversight Committee’s second meeting on August 14th, 2008. Having started several telecommunications companies, including National Telecommunications of Austin, National Telecommunications of Florida, GroupTel, and Clearwire Technologies, Mr. Mansour brings proven entrepreneurial leadership to CPRIT’s Oversight Committee.
Mr. Mansour was previously Chairman of the Board of Grande Communications, and served on the board of directors for two high tech companies. He is currently the president of Telephone Management. He is also a board member and CEO of Tenura Holdings, Inc., a diversified real estate company, and Chairman of the Board of CSIdentity, Inc.. Mr. Mansour is an appointed member of the Governor’s Business Council and the Advisory Board of Economic Development Stakeholders. Additionally, Mr. Mansour was Founding Chairman and served on the Board of CEO America, a non-profit organization providing education scholarships for low-income children in grades K-8.
As chairman of the CPRIT Oversight Committee, Mr. Mansour is responsible for important early successes of the Institute, including establishing the framework for the new state agency, guiding CPRIT through the 2009 Texas legislative session and passage of key legislation to strengthen the scientific review of research and prevention proposals, and recruiting CPRIT’s executive director and chief scientific officer. Mr. Mansour also chairs the executive committee for CPRIT’s Oversight Committee and works closely with CPRIT’s executive staff to implement CPRIT’s strategic vision for CPRIT. Mr. Mansour’s unyielding commitment to changing the face of cancer in Texas also has a deeply personal connection - his wife Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2005. Together they fought and completed treatments ending with a successful remission of the disease.
Mr. Mansour graduated, Summa Cum Laude, from Millsaps College with a B.B.A. in Accounting in 1981. Mr. Mansour became a Certified Public Accountant in November 1982, and received the Richard G. Bell Merit Scholarship Award to Tulane University. He graduated from the Tulane University School of Law receiving a Juris Doctorate Degree in June 1984. While attending Tulane he received the Outstanding Moot Court Award and was named “Best Oralist”.
Mr. Mansour is an active member of the Bible Study Fellowship and All Saints Presbyterian Church. He resides with his wife Sarah and their two children in Austin.
